Thursday, January 12, 2012 {St. Bernard of Corleone, Religious (Memorial)}

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
Attempts to be virtuous that are joined to disobedience to the will of God, no matter how good they may appear, will actually work for our damnation.
-- St. Thomas More

READINGS FOR TODAY
First Reading: 1 Samuel 4:1-11
(The Capture of the Covenant Box)
1 The word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and encamped beside Ebenezer: and the Philistines encamped in Aphek.
2 The Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they joined battle, Israel was struck before the Philistines; and they killed of the army in the field about four thousand men.
3 When the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Why has Yahweh struck us today before the Philistines? Let us get the ark of the covenant of Yahweh out of Shiloh to us, that it may come among us, and save us out of the hand of our enemies.

4 So the people sent to Shiloh; and they brought from there the ark of the covenant of Yahweh of Armies, who sits above the cherubim: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.
5 When the ark of the covenant of Yahweh came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again.
6 When the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What means the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? They understood that the ark of Yahweh was come into the camp.
7 The Philistines were afraid, for they said, God is come into the camp. They said, Woe to us! for there has not been such a thing heretofore.
8 Woe to us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods? these are the gods that struck the Egyptians with all manner of plagues in the wilderness.
9 Be strong, and behave yourselves like men, O you Philistines, that you not be servants to the Hebrews, as they have been to you: quit yourselves like men, and fight.
10 The Philistines fought, and Israel was struck, and they fled every man to his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen.
11 The ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.
Psalms: Psalm 44:10-11, 14-15, 24-25
10 You make us turn back from the adversary. Those who hate us take spoil for themselves.
11 You have made us like sheep for food, And have scattered us among the nations.
14 You make us a byword among the nations, A shaking of the head among the peoples.
15 All day long my dishonor is before me, And shame covers my face,
24 Why do you hide your face, And forget our affliction and our oppression?
25 For our soul is bowed down to the dust. Our body cleaves to the earth.
Gospel: Mark 1:40-45
(Jesus Heals a Man)
40 There came to him a leper, begging him, kneeling down to him, and saying to him, “If you want to, you can make me clean.”
41 Being moved with compassion, he stretched out his hand, and touched him, and said to him, “I want to. Be made clean.”
42 When he had said this, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was made clean.
43 He strictly warned him, and immediately sent him out,
44 and said to him, “See you say nothing to anybody, but go show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing the things which Moses commanded, for a testimony to them.”
45 But he went out, and began to proclaim it much, and to spread about the matter, so that Jesus could no more openly enter into a city, but was outside in desert places: and they came to him from everywhere.